Display rack for seed packages and the like



Dec. 29, 1936.. G. B. WEAVER DISPLAY RACK FOR SEED PACKAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INL J'QZ Z Dec. 29,- 1936. G. B. WEAVER DISPLAY RACK FOR SEED PACKAGES AND THE LIKE- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1954 Dec. 29, 1936. WEAVER 2,065,845

DISPLAY RACK FOR SEED PACKAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10, 1934 a Sheets-Sheet s Inveniog ad, am, rm

Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES DISPLAY RACK FOR SEED PACKAGES AND THE LIKE George B. Weaver, Fredonia, N. Y.

Application August 10,

Claims.

This invention relates generally to a merchandise display rack or stand, but more particularly to a rack for the effective display of seed packets and the like in stores.

One of its objects is the provision of a display rack of this character which is so designed and constructed as to provide for flexibility and interchangeability of the seed packet trays or containers to suit the needs and desires of the store proprietor, and which is further so constructed as to be readily set up or assembled for display as well as to be equally readily collapsible into a compact compass for shipping or storage purposes with the packets in their respective places or pockets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seed packet display rack wherein the trays thereof provide for a maximum capacity and visibility of the seed packets.

A further object is to provide the display rack with collapsible tray units having means for supporting them against tilting and for maintaining the tray-sections in alinement during their extending and collapsing movement as well as in their display and nested positions, and whereby the uppermost section constitutes a suspension member for the remaining sections.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of self-contained means associated with the seed packet trays for providing proper clearance between the trays when packed in a case for shipment or storage and thereby prevent crushing or otherwise damaging the seed packets under such conditions, and further to so construct the trays that the packets will remain in their proper substantially upright position at all times and will not interfere with the collapsing and extending movements of the trays.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a display rack embodying my invention. Figure 2 is a top plan view of one of the collapsible tray units. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken substantially in the plane of line 33, Figure 2. Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken on line 4-4, Figure 2. Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the manner in which the trays are supported in a shipping case. Figure 6 is a top plan View of a three-section tray unit.

Similar characters of reference indicate cor- 1934, Serial No. 739,299

responding parts throughout the several views.

In its general organization, this display stand comprises a knock-down supporting post or standard, and a plurality of seed packet trays or containers rotatably mounted on the post so that the customer may readily and conveniently view the various seed packets he may be interested in purchasing, the trays being grouped or arranged in independent units one above another and in some cases including units composed of two or more nestible or collapsible tray-sections, the whole being flexible and interchangeable to suit the needs and requirements of the store proprietor to be readily assembled by him for display and to be just as readily dismembered or collapsed to a compact state for packing in a shipping case or for storage purposes.

The supporting post or standard preferably consists of a plurality of interconnected, separable sections ll], each section being provided at one end with a boss or bearing 1 l to provide an upwardly-facing shoulder or seat I2 and having a coupling pin [3 rising therefrom. In its lower 7 end each section has a recess or socket l4 with which the companion coupling pin I3 of the next adjoining post section is adapted to interconnect, whereby the post-sections are telescopically connected and effectually maintained in proper alinement and whereby an annular groove is formed between the opposing or abutting ends of the post-sections. If desired, a thumb screw l5 may be used for clamping the post-sections to one another. The lower post-section is provided with foldable legs 16 to provide a firm support for the post and the seed packet trays carried thereby.

By way of example, I have illustrated my invention as embodying three separate tray units which are detachably mounted upon the post and preferably suspended therefrom at the joints or in the grooves between the post-sections ID, the lower unit consisting of a single tray l8, the intermediate unit consisting of two trays l9 and 29, respectively, which are interconnected so that they may be nested one within the other during shipment or storage, and the top unit consisting of three trays 2!, 22 and 23 likewise mounted to be nested one within the other. It is to be understood, of course, that these trayunits are interchangeable and may be arranged or grouped in any other manner to suit the needs and desires of the proprietor.

Each tray section, by preference, is preferably of substantially square shape in plan and is made in the form of a skeleton wire frame to provide a plurality of seed packet pockets 24 which extend around the margin or periphery of the tray as shown in Figure 2. Extending around the bottom and sides of the pocket-forming portions of each tray is screen clothing 25 which serves as an enclosure for the lower portions of the pockets and thereby effectually retains the seed packets therein and still renders them visible to the maximum visibility of the packets.

customers. As shown in the drawings, the packets project sufiiciently above the top of the tray to facilitate their removal.

The lower tray unit consisting of the single tray I8 is supported from a suspension collar 26* adapted for disposition about the boss H of the adjoining post-section H! with the same resting upon the shoulder |2 thereof in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 4. Bracing or truss wires or rods 21 connect this collar with the upper portion of the tray, while the lower portion of the tray is connected by similar truss wires 21 with a centering or guide collar 28 which slidingly fits about the post-section and serves to main-r tain the tray in proper horizontal alinement and prevents its tilting or wobbling. Both collars 26, 28 are free to revolve about the post, and the suspension collar 26 is less in thickness than the height of the boss H to insure proper clearance between the collar and the adjoining post-section for the free turning of the tray and yet pre vent undue vertical displacement thereof on the post, 7

The means for mounting the intermediate and top tray units on the supporting post are substantially the same and a description of the one will suffice for both. As heretofore described, the

the upper tray 20 or 23 acts as a suspension member. forthe lower tray IE3 or the trays 2|, 22, respectively, and is provided centrally thereof with a suspension collar 29 which is adapted to fit around the corresponding'post-boss II and rest upon the companion seat I 2. Substantially radially-disposed bracing or truss wires 30 connect this collar. with the marginal or pocket-bearing portion of the tray. The lower or suspended tray l9 or 2| is provided centrally thereof with a centering or guide collar 3| which slidingly fits about the post-section and which is likewise connected with the marginal portion of the tray by bracing or truss rods 32. By this construction, the trays are independently held against tilting and the'display stand as a whole is thereby maintained in a balanced position and danger of its tilting or tipping over is positively eliminated.

Means are provided, preferably, at the contigue ous' corners of the nested tray-sections l9 and 20 or 2|, 22 and 23, for guiding such sections intoand out of their nested or collapsed positions and also for maintaining them in proper alinement at'all times. This means, by preference consists of substantially upright guide members 33, which, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, rise from the bottom of the lower tray section l9, and companion guide members in the form of eyes or loops 34 projecting from the'bottom of the upper or superposed tray section 20 at a'point adjacent the corner thereof and engaging the companion guide members 33. To 7 limit the downward movement of the lower tray section when suspended from the upper tray section in its display position, I provide each guide member 33 with a stop or abutment 35 which is adapted to' engage the top of the companion guide member 34, as shown by full lines in Figure 3. In the case of the top unit consisting of the three trays 2|, 22 and 23, the intermediate tray 22 carries both sets of guide members 33, 34 which are interconnected with the companion guide members 34 and 33 of the respective top and bottom tray sections 23 and 2|, as seen in Figure 1.

In packing the display rack for shipment to a customer, the packets of seeds, in accordance with the order received, are placed in the pockets of the several trays and the latter, together with the sectional post |0, are placed in a suitable case or container. In placing the various trays in the case, they are disposed one above the other and inasmuch as the seed packets project above the top edges of the trays, it is necessary to provide means for preventing a superposed tray from resting upon the packets ina subjacent tray, so as not to crush or otherwise damage the packets. For this purpose, I extend the guide members 33 of the tray sections to a point above the top edges of the seed packets, the top por tions 36 of such members constituting abutments or rests upon which the bottom of the superposed tray is adapted to be seated, as seen in Figure 5.

For this purpose, the bottom of each lower tray' ceive the trays and retain them against shifting,

and the length of the post-sections I ll is less than the maximum width of the trays, whereby the complete display unit may be packed compactly in the one case.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6 showing the two and three tray section units, respectively, the pockets are all of the same length to accommodate the customary width of theseed packets and the various tray-sections are so designed as to be divided along theirjfour sides into an equal number of 'pockets whereby there is no lost or waste space, andat the same time there is sufiicient clearance between the tray-sections to permit their relative movement and to provide for the guide'members 33, 34. To this end the pockets 24 of the outermost tray-section 9 or 2| are of the same breadth between their inner and outer frame-forming wires and the uniform number of pockets along each side of the tray is obtained by an overlapping of the respective pockets at the tray-corners, the outer tray I!) or 2| containing five pockets and the innermost tray 23 having a like overlapping corner arrangement of two pockets along each'sid'e 7 posite sides and three pockets at each of the re maining sides, the three pockets being disposed between the adjoining sides of the respective tray and the end pockets abutting the rear walls of the end pockets of such adjoining sides as seen in Figures 2 and 6.

The pockets are of such a depth or height as to effectually support the seed packets in a substantially upright position at all times and in the event that but a few packets remain in a pocket so that they tilt inwardly, the tops of the packets still clear the adjoining superposed tray and do not interfere with the collapsing and extending movements of the tray-sections, whereby crushing of the packets is eliminated. Furthermore, the see-d packets in one tray project above the bottom of a superposed tray to prevent possible interference during movements of the trays.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A display rack of the character described, comprising a supporting post having a seat thereon, means for displaying merchandise detachably mounted on said post and including sections adapted to nest one within the other when removed from the post and to be suspended one below the other when in a display position on the post, one of said display sections constituting a support for the remaining sections and having a suspension member thereon engageable with said post-seat, a guide member applied to another of said sections and engageable with said post, and complementary inter-engaging means applied to the contiguous portions of the display sections for guiding the relative movements thereof into and out of their nested position, one of said means consisting of upright guide members and the other consisting of companion members encircling the respective upright members, the latter having stops thereon with which the companion members are adapted to abut for limiting the extended movement of the suspended sections in their display position.

2. A display rack of the character described, comprising a supporting post having a seat thereon, means for displaying merchandise detachably mounted on said post and including sections adapted to nest one within the other when removed from the post and to be suspended one below the other when in a display position on the post, one of said display sections constituting a support for the remaining sections and having a suspension member thereon engageable with said post-seat, a guide member applied to another of said sections and engageable with said post, and complementary inter-engaging means applied to the contiguous portions of the display sections for guiding the relative movements thereof into and out of their nested position, said means being disposed adjacent the contiguous inner and outer corners of adjoining display sections and each consisting of an upright guide rod applied to the inner corner of one section and an eye-like member applied to the outer corner of an adjoining section and engaging said guide rod.

3. A display rack of the character described, comprising a supporting post having a seat thereon, means for displaying merchandise detachably mounted on said post and including sections adapted to nest one within the other when removed from the post and to be suspended one below the other when in a display position on the post, one of said display sections constituting a support for the remaining sections and having a suspension member thereon engageable with said post-seat, a guide member applied to another of said sections and engageable with said post, and complementary inter-engaging means applied to the contiguous portions of the display sections for guiding the relative movements thereof into and out of their nested position, one of said means consisting of upright guide members and the other consisting of companion members encircling the respective upright members, the latter having stops thereon with which the companion members are adapted to abut for limiting the extended movement of the suspended sections in their display position, the upright members of the lowermost section constituting supporting means upon which the bottom of the companion section of another display means is adapted to rest when the same are packed, detached from the post, one above another for shipment or storage.

4. In a display rack, the combination of a pair of concentrically-arranged, substantially rectangularly-shaped trays having means for supporting them one upon the other, said trays being of progressively smaller diameters and disposed to nest one within another when collapsed and to be suspended one from another by said supporting means when in display position, each of said trays having pockets of the same length extending around the marginal sides thereof, one of the trays having the same uniform pocket arrangement at the sides thereof and the other tray of the pair having a different but uniform pocket arrangement at the sides thereof and being of a different breadth than the pockets of the first-named tray.

5. A display rack of the character described, comprising a supporting post having a seat thereon, means for displaying merchandise detion and limiting their relative suspended position, each of said trays having pockets of the same length extending around the marginal sides thereof, the pockets of the outer and innermost trays being of the same breadth and having the same pocket arrangement at the sides thereof and the intermediate tray having a different but uniform pocket arrangement and having its pockets of a breadth different than that of the breadth of the pockets of the remaining trays.

GEORGE B. WEAVER. 

